Re: Q: Location of copyrighted ROM images for emulator packages?
On Sun, 22 Feb 1998, Marcus Brinkmann wrote:
> On Sun, Feb 22, 1998 at 12:07:46PM -0600, Manoj Srivastava wrote:
> > Do you, then, interpret it differently from how I did? How can
> > policy be made more unambiguous?
>
> No, I don't interpret it differently. It is a clear statement that every
> conf file should reside in /etc, I'm sorry again. I did a quick check if
> policy is followed:
>
> flora$ grep -v /etc /var/lib/dpkg/info/*.conffiles
[re-arranged the output to make my reply to it more readable]
> base-files.conffiles:/root/.bash_profile
> base-files.conffiles:/root/.bashrc
These might be an exception, I don't know.
> devscripts.conffiles:etc/upload.sites
> povray-misc.conffiles:etc/povray.ini
> xloadimage.conffiles:etc/X11/Xloadimage
Missing slash (/) in front, a simple bug.
> dosemu.conffiles:/var/lib/dosemu/hdimage.first
This shouldn't be a conffile IMHO and the default config file should
clearly state that this file will be overwritten.
> gravitywars.conffiles:/var/lib/games/gravitywars/hscore.gw
> mirrormagic.conffiles:/var/lib/games/mirrormagic/RAY.level
> nethack.conffiles:/var/lib/games/nethack/logfile
> nethack.conffiles:/var/lib/games/nethack/record
> rocks-n-diamonds.conffiles:/var/lib/games/rocksndiamonds/ROCKS.levelinfo
> thrust.conffiles:/var/lib/games/thrust.highscore
> xboing.conffiles:/var/lib/games/xboing.score
> xonix.conffiles:/var/lib/games/xonix.scores
See below for games.
> lesstif-bin.conffiles:usr/X11R6/lib/X11/mwm/system.mwmrc
This should be in /etc/X11/mwm.
> mime-support.conffiles:/var/lib/mime/mime-db
> modutils.conffiles:/sbin/request-route
No idea whatsoever for these. I haven't looked closely.
> xearth.conffiles:/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/app-defaults/XEarth
> xephem-smotif.conffiles:/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/app-defaults/XEphem
NO file in this directory should be a conffile.
> xemacs20-support.conffiles:
An empty line in the conffiles file?
> Mmmh. It seems that often files under /var also can be conffiles (if a
> default file is provided by the package).
They can be conffiles, but I think they shouldn't. If a game package
provides, for example, a default 'high scores' file somewhere under
/var/lib/games, I think dpkg shouldn't ask to replace it until the format
of the file changes. I'd think nobody wants to replace that file with the
default one on an upgrade of the package. Instead, one of these mechanisms
could be used:
1. Provide a default one, like ".../highscores.default" and copy it to
".../highscores" in the postinst if and only if that file doesn't exist.
Remember to remove ".../highscores" when the package is purged (not if
it's only removed).
2. If the game automatically creates a ".../highscores" file if there
isn't one, don't supply one. Remember to remove it when the package is
purged.
> > Marcus> 1) Zero conf files in /usr/lib/<package> An option to fetch
> > Marcus> and install the roms via ftp in the postinst and a warning
> > Marcus> that one should keep the files if dpkg asks to replace them in
> > Marcus> future upgrades.
> >
> > If they are not conf files, dpkg shall *NOT ASK*. Please read
> > the Packaging manual.
>
> Come on, Manoj. I wrote "Zero conf files", because I assumed that they could
> be conf files, as you well know. If they would be conf files, dpkg *would*
> ask.
But WHY would they be conffiles?
> This leads to the simple questions why conf files should reside in /etc.
> The answer is because they are likely to be subject of modifications, isn't
> it? But the ROM images are not subject of modification (only once, when they
> are downloaded and installed). So the feature of dpkg (namely conf file
> handling), could be exploited:
> 1) the rom images would reside in the /usr area.
> 2) they would be removed when the package is purged, but not when it is
> removed, because dpkg would know of them.
Why would you want that? You can do that without making them conffiles by
just writing a clever prerm or postrm script (I don't know which one of
them is appropriate).
For a general hint on how to handle ROM images, take a close look at the
"vice" package, which contains emulators for some old Commodore computers
like the C64 and the VIC-20 and which also depends on ROM images. It
doesn't have any conffiles.
Remco
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